About this exercise

How to

Stand with your feet more than shoulder-width apart - this wide stance will allow a deeper squat, getting your glutes and hamstrings involved.

Hold a barbell across your upper back with an overhand grip – avoid resting it on your neck. Hug the bar into your traps to engage your upper back muscles.

Take the weight of the bar and slowly squat down – head up, back straight, buns out. Lower yourself until your hips are aligned with your knees, with legs at 90 degrees – a deeper squat will be more beneficial but get the strength and flexibility first. Drive your heels into the floor to push yourself explosively back up. Keep form until you’re stood up straight: that’s one

Variations

Front squat

How:

Rest the bar on your collarbone (either side of the neck); your shoulders will be able to bear some of the weight if they’re broad enough. Stick your elbows out so your triceps are parallel to the ground and support the bar with your fingertips. Make sure your arms stay in this position throughout the squat, to prevent the bar from rolling. Squat as you would normally.

Why:

Front squats give you all the benefits of a regular back squat but take some of the pressure away from your back and knees, meaning that you can train for longer. This technique also requires more flexibility so ensures more than simple muscle mass. It’ll take practice, but your body will thank you for it.

Keep the same stance but cradle the bar in the crook of your elbows instead. Make sure your back is straight, not curved, and your core is tensed throughout. Shift the weight back onto your heels, feet slightly beyond shoulder-width apart. Keep your fists together or cup one hand inside the other. Squat until the bar touches your knees, thighs just parallel. Pause, and then drive up hard.

Why:

Front or back squats can put strain on your wrists and hips, as well as beating up your shoulders. Shifting to the Zercher position, the squat is easier to manage due to the lower centre of gravity. It also gives your abs and biceps a thorough workout in the process.

Overhead squat

How:

Your starting position is with the bar above your head, so get in there in stages: lift it from the floor to your chest, then lift it until your arms are straight above you. Your hands should be wider than shoulder width apart with the bar slightly behind your head. Retracting your shoulder blades will help to get it there. Squat down until your thighs are parallel with the ground, keeping the bar in a steady position above your head. Push up with your legs; careful not to explode too forcefully, or you’ll lose your balance with the bar.

Why:

Keeping the bar overhead engages your shoulders in a way other than being resting pads, and gives your triceps a workout too. This will definitely engage your core, and maintain flexibility in your upper torso. You’ll also look pretty cool in the process.

Hack squat

How:

Get into a deadlift position before stepping over the bar, keeping your hands where they are. Keep a tight grip on the bar with your palms facing backwards; your back needs to be straight and your head up. Focus on extending your hips out and lifting your chest, until you’re stood with the bar behind your glutes. Your forearm strength will dictate how much you lift.

Why:

Most squat variations will put pressure on your spine, compressing it unless your back muscles are strong enough. Moving the centre of gravity lower than your core will relieve this pressure, but it will give your quads more of a job to do; perfect if you’re building for beach shorts.

Expert tips

Warm-up to bulk up: a study in Spain found that bodyweight squat drills helped leg muscles lift more explosively. Use jumping lunges to get an advantage: lunge forward until your knee is almost touching the floor then jump into the air, switching the position of your feet so you land in a lunge. Repeat this for four reps per side.

Get low - but not too low. There’s no one correct depth when it comes to squatting, so long as your back arch is natural and your hips aren’t tucking under. Any lower than this and a large amount of hydraulic pressure will be imposed on the discs in your spine, leading to tissue damage and back pain. How low you go depends on your own body type; Dr Rafael Escamilla, of the department of physical therapy at California State University, says that bending so that your thighs are parallel with the ground is enough to build bigger and stronger legs. Only go lower if it’s safe for you.

Find a foot position that suits you. PT Andy Vincent recommends squatting bare foot, but if your gym is all shoes and no toes (it rhymes…maybe?) then find some flat-soled footwear. Let your feet turn outwards if they want to, you’ll only put unnecessary strain on your knees by forcing them inwards. “We all have a different ideal foot position for a squat,” says Vincent. “It’s about finding yours.”

Go early or go home. Squats are big, powerful movements than require a lot of energy and use a range of muscles, so get them in your workout early to maximise the benefit. “They let you play with your leg muscles with a huge amount of weight, which triggers growth,” says Christian Finn, founder of musclevo.net. Make your quads your favourites to keep them growing.

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